Anomalous Weather

While the March weather in Washington has been colder, wetter, and snowier than usual, California has basked in sunshine, sunshine, and more sunshine. The last week of March in Seattle was the third coldest on record and snow fell in many parts of the Puget Sound lowlands, a highly unusual event. Moreover, temperatures in the upper atmosphere were the coldest observed in 32 years, at any time of the year! More details can be found here. Meanwhile, it has been sunny and dry in California as all the energy has been shunted to the Pacific Northwest. The Northern Sacramento valley experienced its driest March since 1956 and the Sierra have not received a significant snow in a month and half! While early storms in January and early February were promising, the dry period of late has caused seasonal snow totals to retreat back to normal levels in the Sierra. Some sites are now even reporting below average snowpack, which is not good for staving off summer droughts. The forecast does not hold too much promise for California as no significant storms are anticipated in the near future and the door for a significant precipitation event quickly closes once May comes around. Meanwhile, wet and cool is possible in Washington through June.